Travel Policies

Travel Policies – Tobacco Road Tours

TRT Policy Statement Last Revised: August 10, 2016

It is the traveler’s responsibility to read the following travel policies before signing up for any trip or remitting any payments. All monies are in US dollars. Tobacco Road Tours reserves the right to change their travel policies without notice. This document outlines what Tobacco Road Tours (“TRT”) agrees to provide when you sign up for a tour, and what you agree to do in return.

If a trip is already full, TRT will accept requests on a standby-basis. Should space become available, the notified traveler has the choice to join the tour by paying in full by credit card or forfeiting the space. Should more than one person on standby wish to take the available space, the first one who submits the payment in full will be awarded the space.

Deposits:To reserve a place on a TRT tour you must agree to these Tour Conditions and provide us with the outlined deposit per person. We accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express for all tour payments. Note: we cannot accept credit card information via email. We also accept personal checks (written on a US bank account), bank drafts, and money orders made payable to Tobacco Road Tours in US dollars. Your final tour payment is due in our office on or before 60 days prior to the start of the tour.

Please mark your final payment due date on your calendar.The due date is listed on your initial confirmation letter and tour invoice. Missing the final payment deadline may result in your being removed from the tour! If you sign up for a tour less than 80 days before its departure, the entire tour price must be paid, and the deposit portion is non-refundable. (Tour deposit refunds are discussed below.)

Final Payments

Tobacco Road Tours will invoice the traveler for final payment approximately 60 days (2 months) before the trip departs. The exact payment due date is listed on the deposit confirmation receipt mailed to each traveler.

In the unlikely event of a price increase for surcharges, taxes, fees or other costs related to this tour prior to final payment, TRT will notify the traveler of said increase. Traveler has the right to refuse the cost increase and cancel the trip prior to making final payment without penalty.

To be considered paid, TRT must have the following: 1) full amount due, 2) travel arrangements, 3) completed confidential form and 4) passport information if an international trip.

A traveler who has not paid their final payment two weeks after the final payment due date, or has failed to provide the required information, as listed above, will be notified via email and certified letter that he or she has been canceled from the trip, and his or her total amount paid to date forfeited.

Itinerary Changes

Itineraries are subject to change. In the event there is an itinerary change, comparable lodging, meals and activities will be provided.

Air Travel

Travelers arriving by air are responsible for allowing sufficient time to deplane, gather luggage and travel to the designated meeting location to join the tour. TRT will not delay the departure of the group for travelers arriving after the designated tour start time as listed in the individual itineraries.

Travelers are responsible to provide TRT with their flight arrangements no later than the final payment due date of the tour. Travelers are also required to notify TRT in the event…..? the airline should change the arrival or departure time of a flight.

Travelers who are delayed for whatever reason are responsible for notifying TRT of their situation and to communicate regularly with TRT as to their anticipated arrival time. Delayed travelers are responsible for joining the group as soon as possible and at their own expense.

Tour price guarantee:Our tour prices do not include airfare, and are subject to change without notice due to the unpredictability of currency rates and trip costs. However, your price for the tour you’ve selected will be locked and guar­anteed the moment we receive your deposit. For current tour prices, visit www.tobaccoroadtours.com (outbound tours) or call our Tour Department at 919.371.2653.

Included in the price of each tour:Sightseeing tours by a TRT guide, and local guides when appropriate, including admissions to sights seen as a group; all breakfasts and half of your dinners (as determined by TRT); accommodations each night, often in family-run hotels in the historic heart of each city; all transportation from the first hotel to the last ho­tel of the tour (does not include optional activities or independent travel during the tour); all TRT guide, local guide and driver tips are included.

Itineraries are subject to change:Travel is full of surprises and we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of whatever comes along so that we may provide you with the best possible tour. Uncompleted portions of the tour itiner­ary are not cause for refund.

Solo travelers and single supplements:If you are traveling solo, you need not pay the mandatory single supplement often required by other tour companies. You will most likely room with another tour member of the same sex. If you wish to guarantee a private room, we offer a limited number of optional single supplements for an additional fee. Refer to your tour’s web page at tobaccoroadtours.com for current single supplement prices. (If a private room is not available when we receive your tour order, we will notify you immediately, and you will have the option to cancel your reservation.) Please note that a single supplement guarantees a private room — not a larger or nicer room, as European single-bed rooms are generally the smallest and most basic rooms the hotel has to offer. Single supplements are refundable if cancelled at least 60 days prior to tour departure; those cancelled later will be forfeited.

If a payment to TRT is returned unpaid for any reason, we will assess a $35 returned item fee per occurrence. The fee(s) will be added to the applicable tour balance, and must be paid in full prior to your tour departure.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO OUR CANCELLATION POLICIES.
If you cannot afford to lose the money invested in your travel due to some unforeseen event,TRT strongly recommends you consider travel insurance.

Cancellation of Tours by TRT

On rare occasions, Tobacco Road Tours must cancel a tour, either because there are not enough travelers to operate the tour, or for other events outside the control of TRT. Tobacco Road Tours will cancel tours due to lack of travelers prior to final invoicing however, Tobacco Road Tours reserves the right to cancel any tour at any time up to the day of departure, due to no fault of TRT.

In the event of a cancellation by Tobacco Road Tours, all monies paid to TRT for the canceled tour will be promptly refunded to the traveler. Tobacco Road Tours is not responsible for any penalties imposed by the airlines.

Tour forms, obligations, and risks: To travel on a tour, and to qualify for Tour Cancellation/Interruption Protection, all tour members are required to sign and return a Release and Waiver Agreement and a Tour Member Participation Agreement prior to the beginning of a tour.

Any pre-existing physical, mental, or emotional disability that may require atten­tion or treatment must be reported prior to the beginning of a tour. Omitting important information, or altering the Re­lease and Waiver Agreement, will render it and your Tour Cancellation/Interruption Protection invalid, and could result in expulsion from a tour at your own expense. Please understand that to keep costs down, and because it may be unobtainable in any event, Tobacco Road Tours’ Europe, Inc. provides only limited protection up to the tour price (minus the deposit amount), and only in certain qualifying, unforeseen circumstances. TRT has no additional travel or health cover­age to protect tour participants. Tour members intentionally assume the many risks inherent in domestic and international travel.

Participation: Although we want everyone to have a good time, it sometimes happens that someone participating in a tour can misbehave or do things that are incompatible with the safety, comfort or convenience of other members of the tour. In those circumstances we have the exclusive right and discretion, to expel someone (even you) from a tour at any time, without any claims or complaints by you against us.

All Tobacco Road Tours are physically active: This is an integral, essential part of the Tobacco Road Tours tour experience. Get in shape before you leave for Europe! On any Tobacco Road Tours tour you should be capable of fully and happily participating — without any assistance — in the following levels of activity:

Carry or roll your own luggage for up to 15 minutes over uneven pavement from the bus to the hotel (not applicable on 7-day city tours), then haul it up as many as five flights of stairs to reach your room.

Be comfortable on your feet for up to four hours walking and standing, both inside museums and outdoors in all weather conditions such as hot sun and rain.

Sleep with no (or inadequate) air conditioning and street noise in some hotels.

After orientation and transportation lessons, be able to navigate towns and cities on your own.

You’ll want to pack light: Each tour member is allowed to bring just one airline-carry-on-size piece of luggage (approx. 21″ x 14″ x 9″) plus a small day pack or shoulder bag. You will always carry your own bags from the bus to your room, which may include carrying it up several flights of steep stairs or walking 10-15 minutes to the hotel. Your Pre-Tour Planner in­cludes tips for packing light and creatively.

No smoking is allowed on the bus, in hotel rooms or during group meals. Smokers may smoke only outdoors and downwind from the group. Children under age 18 must room with and be accompanied on the tour by a parent or guardian, who is responsible for participating in all tour activities in which the child partakes.

The information provided during the tour is for your own personal enjoyment and not for professional use. Record­ing guide lectures for professional purposes and soliciting business from tour members while on tour or afterward is strictly prohibited.

Tobacco Road Tours LLC. is registered with the State of North Carolina as a provider of travel services.

Cancellation insurance is strongly advised and recommended. Cancellation insurance applications are mailed with the initial trip confirmation package. Any questions about what travel insurance does or does not cover should be addressed directly to the travel insurance company.

Please be aware that your medical insurance may not cover your “out of country” travel.

Assumed Risk

Travel has its own inherent risks, and the traveler acknowledges such risks exist, up to and including death. TRT will take all reasonable precautions to insure the health and safety of the traveler. The traveler agrees to hold TRT, its employees and agents harmless should illness, accident or death occur. TRT is not responsible for the actions, expenses or harm incurred by travelers who disregard the instructions of the TRT representative(s), travelers who depart from the planned activities of the tour, or travelers who follow the instructions of a non-TRT representative(s).

Involuntary/Voluntary Departure from a Tour in Progress

TRT reserves the right to remove any traveler from a tour should the TRT representative(s) determine that the traveler cannot meet the physical requirements of the tour as stated in the itinerary, or is disruptive to the tour time schedule or is adversely affecting the overall group dynamics. In the event a traveler is removed from a tour, TRT will not refund any monies. Transportation costs to return home, airline penalties, and any other expenses will be the responsibility of the traveler.

In the event that a traveler voluntarily chooses to leave a tour prior to its scheduled conclusion, TRT will not refund any monies for the unused portion of the tour arrangements. Transportation costs from tour departure point to the airport, airline penalties, and any other expenses will be the responsibility of the traveler.

Use of 3rd Party Operators

Some TRT trips, as noted in the itinerary, are scheduled with tour operators who sell their tours to the general public. The traveler acknowledges that other groups and/or individuals may be a part of the same tour.

Use of Travelers’ Images in Promotional Materials

Photographs and video taken by Tobacco Road Tours tour leaders and other TRT representatives while on tour are the property of TRT and may be used in promotional materials. Any traveler who does not wish to have their photograph or video footage used in promotional material MUST advise TRT in writing no later than the tour’s final payment due date.

Our Maximum Group Size is small, typically 18 or less
We would rather turn away a traveler than degrade the quality of the tour for the guests already signed up. We know traveling with a group larger than 18 ends up feeling more like a class field trip rather than a unique travel experience. A smaller group means you can easily remember the other guest’s names and get to know a bit about them, allowing the group to bond. We understand the importance of the group experience and how it directly relates to the overall enjoyment of each individual.

Room Share is GuaranteedNo matter when you sign up for a TRT tour, if you want to share a room, we’ll make it happen. We can make this promise because our tour leader fills in as a roommate when needed. This is a valuable service that will save you hundreds of dollars as a solo traveler. We pair up travelers by age when possible. We also provide “Tips on Being a Good Roommate” in your final travel instructions which has helpful, common sense information. (A single room is generally available on most of our tours for an additional cost.)

Our Tour Leaders ReceiveSpecial TrainingWe hire our own tour leaders and train them. A TRT tour leader receives additional training above and beyond simply handling tour logistics. They are trained in group dynamics, safety, security and other guests specific issues to ensure the quality of the travel experience for the group and the enjoyment of each individual traveler.

What are You Waiting For? Join Us Today!On a TRT tour you will see the sights you’ve dreamed of, experience new places and people, make new friends and return home refreshed and renewed. Your friends will be amazed (and jealous) and you will have memories that will last a lifetime….guaranteed.

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Why ‘Tobacco Road’

Used by the Native American tribes during important ceremonies, tobacco has been a mainstay agricultural crop since the 1600s and grown throughout the Sandhills, Piedmont and Mountain regions of North Carolina. North Carolina is still the number one producer of tobacco in the US.

The name 'Tobacco Road' traditionally means "a squalid poverty stricken rural area or county." Most tobacco farms in the south were owned by families and located in small, rural areas. 'Tobacco Road' was dubbed by the media when referring to the many Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) teams in close proximity off old US-Hwy 70: Duke, NC State, UNC and Wake Forest.Read more about Tobacco Road Tours